Early in the recession I thought customer loyalty was gone forever.  Providers, of all types,  were radically cutting prices to gain market share and client were moving without much thought to the next good deal.  Everything was turning into a commodity.

How do we earn client loyalty and what does it take to build a long lasting and meaningful relationship with your customers? According to Lawrence Crosby, Dean at Oklahoma State University, the customer relationship refers to an enduring connection or association between a buyer and a seller (or brand.) Years of Academic research point to trust and commitment as important ingredients of strong, stable relationships.  

For most of my career, this meant meeting my clients' expectations.  Delivering what I said, when I said, at the cost I said.  In the last few years, I learned this just isn't enough.  As a seller of a product or service, we must continue to do what we say, but we must also challenges ourselves to  exceed client expectations.  Apple, Netflix, Nugget Market and my housekeepers are a few of my favorite examples.  Regardless of size, product or service, each deliver on a regular basis, more than I expect. This builds loyalty and a sense of obligation on my part to use them first and foremost.

Media expert, David Sparks,  has had articles in eWeek, Wired News, PC Computing and PC World.  I recently heard Sparks speak at the Visual Media Alliance in SF. 

1) Run in the Morning.  I often blow it off but when I do, I'm far more sluggish throughout the day.

2) Password Memorization:  I use Roboform2Go a password memorization tool (PC only - darn it.)

3) Content Manager:  OneNote for meeting notes + WordPress to collect and document opinions and then send blog links vs a long email.

4) Quick Access to Sites: Toolbar buttons at the top of my screen.

5) Digital Communication: Tweetdeck.

6) Promotions: Post messaging and postings across FB, Twitter, Delicious and Stumbleupon.

7) Writing Faster: Roboform's automated form tool.

Pay your friend a few bucks you borrowed or the babysitter by sending a virtual check offered by selected financial institutions.  Golden 1 Credit Union recently announced their Person-2-Person (P2P) service which allows you to send a virtual check via your smart phone.  No account info needed, just an email address and cell phone number.